Sunday, September 1, 2019

Duke City, Meet Cigar City

Welcome the newest player in the IPA shelf game in New Mexico: Cigar City Jai Alai. Probably the biggest drop to hit since Dogfish head. Cigar City is brought to us here in NM thanks to being part of the CANarchy group that includes Perrin, Squatters, Wasatch, Oskar Blues, Three Weavers, and Deep Ellum. Cigar City was one of those almost mystical names we'd bring up when discussing great beer some years back. The question I asked back when DFH hit here I'll ask again: Is it too late? While the Jai Alai is more citrus-forward and thus more "modern" than DFH 60 Minute, it doesn't stand up to the better west coast style IPAs brewed locally, or so I'll believe until I do a blind tasting, which I will. In a week or so. Check back. Reputation is a good way to get people to try your beer once, but will people keep coming back? The price per sixer for Jai Alai and the Guayabera Citra Pale Ale is comparable to locals at $9.99. And I did get a little tinge of excitement when I saw it sitting at Jubilation, I will admit. Reminded me of the Cigar City event at Freshcraft on a Saturday during GABF in, oh, 2013. I got excited then as well. Possibly the last time I was excited. I drank that Jai Alai like there was no other beer out there except for the upcoming Surly event. Anyone in the mood for a Surly Furious?